Another Taste

By Bri

*Faith's singing is in italics, Lindsey's in bold, and the two together are bolded italics.

Lindsey watched as Faith slipped inside the door. She'd been coming back to Caritas every night for the last two weeks, since the night they'd sung together and made him dream of making music outside of the club. He winced. God, what a cheesy thought. He was glad he'd only verbalized it internally.

Casually setting down the glass he was drying, Lindsey strolled over to her, quietly and unobtrusively. He hadn't talked to her in the two weeks and he was getting sick of waiting around, playing the game. She was watching the stage intently, seemingly unaware of her surroundings. Lindsey half- hoped he'd been able to sneak up on her when she held up a hand.

"Don't even think you can take me, McDonald," she warned.

Lindsey laughed in amusement. "Faith, Caritas is a non-violent facility, remember? Besides, I would never try and 'take you,' as you put it. Not unless it was to bed," he added candidly.

Faith turned her head slightly and graced him with a disdainful smirk. "I doubt you're man enough to handle me," she sneered.

Lindsey approached her, getting as close as he dared. He admired her strength when she didn't take a step back, or flinch, or drop her gaze. She stared defiantly into his amused eyes, and he chuckled inwardly.

"Faith, I doubt you know what a real man is like," Lindsey half- growled. "I bet the boys you've had so far have been weak and pathetic and without half the strength of character to match you."

Faith lowered her eyes a little, turning around, presenting him with her back. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall, resuming watching the demon on stage do a passable job of singing Alice Cooper's "Poison." She refused to acknowledge the fact that he'd complimented her, inadvertent though it may have been.

Lindsey dropped a hand to her shoulder and she immediately thrust her elbow backward, jabbing him in the stomach as she simultaneously stomped down on his foot, dropping him to his knees as she whipped herself around. She stared down at him, one booted foot raised to press against his jugular, pinning him to the wall. "Don't touch me."

Lindsey choked, but didn't otherwise indicate that Faith had him at a disadvantage. He merely stared back at her until she lowered her foot to the floor, reaching out one small, surprisingly delicate hand to help him up. He took it, narrowing his eyes as he rose to his feet.

The two glared at each other, neither willing to concede defeat. A slow smile curved Lindsey's lips as he backed up, towards the stage. With one last lingering look, he turned around. Faith watched him head over to the master of entertainment and indicate he wanted to sing something. Curious, she grabbed a chair from a nearby table, turned it backwards, and sank down into it, crossing her arms over the back and resting her chin on them.

She brightened when she heard the familiar strains of Disturbed fill the club. She knew she shouldn't be surprised that Lindsey was familiar with the angry alt-rock group, he *had* sung Staind with her, after all, but somehow she didn't think Disturbed was Lindsey's type of music. Shrugging her shoulders just slightly, she locked her eyes on the admittedly gorgeous man on the stage and waited to hear his interpretation of "The Game."

Tell me exactly what am I supposed to do
Now that I have allowed you to beat me
Do you think that we could play another game?
Maybe I could win this time
I kind of like the misery you put me through
Darling you can trust me completely
If you even try to look the other way
I think that I could kill this time

Faith narrowed her eyes. So the little shit thought he was clever, did he? Thought he was going to make her feel guilty by looking straight into her eyes and smiling darkly, letting her know that the lyrics were straight from him to her. He should really know better. She didn't guilt easily. It had taken several murders and a psychotic break-down before she hit her peak. Just because she'd turned herself in and done penance for her crimes, didn't exactly make her soft. She was still tough as nails and leather, and she'd be damned if Lawyer Boy was going to get her shell to crack with a song.

It doesn't really seem I'm getting through to you
Though I see you weeping so sweetly
I think that you might have to take another taste
A little bit of hell this time

Lie to me
Lie to me

Is she not right?
Is she insane?
Will she now
Run for life in the battle that ends this day
Is she not right?
Is she insane?
Will she now
Run for her life now that she lied to me

Faith couldn't help it. She felt the anger in his voice rolling across the stage and over her, surrounding her in blackness. It was starting to turn her on. Never mind the fact that the sonofabitch had a hell of a voice, his deep growl made her knees weak. Danger and violence had always been more of a turn-on than some loser's inept attempts at seduction. And the lawyer-turned-bartender had danger and violence in spades. He just hid behind the disguise of civility.

You always wanted people to remember you
To leave your mark on society
Well don't you know your wish is coming true today
Another victim dies tonight

Lie to me
Lie to me

Is she really
Telling lies again
Doesn't she realize
She's in danger

Faith's mask of cool indifference never slipped, but she could feel herself cringing on the inside. How had Lindsey pegged her so well? She'd always felt drawn to him, had felt like they were just different versions of the same soul. She was the violent loose cannon, crude, crass and blunt, whereas Lindsey was calm and calculating, a golden boy with an equally gilded tongue. They were nothing alike on the outside, but mirrored each other underneath everything else. Why should it surprise her that he could see who she was beneath the surface?

The little bitch she went and she told a lie
And now she will never tell another, a lie
The little bitch she went and she told a lie
Never fucking lie to me

Faith's eyes widened imperceptibly as Lindsey's voice swallowed up the rest of the notes and then became silence. The demons cheered enthusiastically, as they always did for their second-favorite entertainer. He smiled slightly and stepped down from the stage, nodding to various regulars as he made his way back to the bar. He gave Faith an indecipherable glance as he resumed his position behind the bar, snapping his towel at The Host and laughing at one of his jokes. He picked up a glass and a couple bottles of liquor, dashing and mixing, then handed it to The Host. He glanced again at Faith out of the corner of his eye, and she got the hint.

Heaving an irritable sigh, she swung her leg over the seat of the chair and stood up, then sauntered over to the bar.

"Faith, gorgeous, long time no see!" The Host cried happily.

Faith eyed Lindsey. "I've been in every night for the last two weeks, Lorne," she popped off. "You haven't been paying attention very well."

"Oh pish," The Host scoffed. "Of course I've been paying attention. But I'm not one to push-." He broke off at Lindsey's snort, glaring at his bartender. "I'm not one to push people. I figured you would come and say howdy when it suited you."

Faith crossed her arms over her chest again and directed her response to The Host, but never took her eyes off Lindsey. "It suited me tonight."

The Host clapped his hands together. "Wonderful. Lindsey dear, would you be a good man doll and make Faith an amaretto sour?"

Faith glanced at The Host scornfully. "An amaretto sour? Are you fucking kidding me?" She glared challengingly at Lindsey. "A shot of Jose Cuervo, if you please."

Lindsey poured Faith a generous shot and watched as she tossed it back without even choking. She slammed the shot glass back down on the bar. "Make it a double."

The Host waved his hand, distracting Faith's and Lindsey's attention from the silent war they were waging. "Faith dear, I am not about to have you blitzed at my bar. Knowing you, you'll start a fight and get everything, including possibly yourself, destroyed." He took the shot glass from Faith's tightly clenched fingers and scooted it out of the way. "How about we discuss what song you're going to sing?"

Faith shook her head. "I'm not entertaining tonight," she stated.

The Host pouted. "You're trying to kill me by making me listen to all these horrible singers massacre the classics, without benefit of the occasional melodic verse?"

Faith shifted her gaze from The Host to Lindsey. "Not tonight," she insisted. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Lindsey watched as Faith took a few steps backward, then slipped out the door as quickly as she'd slipped in. Lindsey looked to The Host, who nodded, and he set down his glass and towel, heading for the door.

Lindsey had no sooner stepped outside than he was jerked around the corner. He focused his eyes on his attacker, and he smiled.

Faith's dark red lips curled into a sexy smile, and she slowly relaxed the fingers that had a stranglehold in his shirtfront. Lowering her eyes, she fussed with the shirt for a minute, smoothing the material back down and erasing the wrinkles. When she looked back up into his eyes, she shivered slightly at the burning gaze that was centered on her.

Both opened their mouths at the same time, and both immediately shut them again. They looked at each other and came to a silent understanding that words were not needed. Instead, Faith wound her arms around Lindsey's neck and insinuated her curves against his body, causing his breathing to quicken. Looking up at him, she let her tongue dart out to lick at her lower lip, before fusing her lips with his.

Lindsey's fingers curled over her hips and he pulled her closer, trying to draw her into his body. His tongue dueled with hers, each of them battling for supremacy. When it seemed like they would die of oxygen depravation if neither of them acquiesced, Faith tore her lips from Lindsey's.

Offering him another sexy grin, she stepped back and mock-saluted him. "I'll be back tomorrow night, count on it," she said throatily.

Lindsey didn't go after her again when she disappeared into the shadows of the L.A. night.

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